Legislative disconnect or institutional gatekeeping? Challenges of researching South Africa's military past
The Department of Defence Archive in Pretoria is the repository of all military documents generated by the Union Defence Force, the South African Defence Force and the South African National Defence Force. This makes it the foremost source of primary information for researchers of South African mili...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | Afrikaans |
| Published: |
Stellenbosch University
2020-02-01
|
| Series: | Scientia Militaria |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/1294 |
| _version_ | 1819239050008068096 |
|---|---|
| author | Kleynhans, Evert Gordon, Will |
| author_facet | Kleynhans, Evert Gordon, Will |
| author_sort | Kleynhans, Evert |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Department of Defence Archive in Pretoria is the repository of all military documents generated by the Union Defence Force, the South African Defence Force and the South African National Defence Force. This makes it the foremost source of primary information for researchers of South African military history. However, an almost total ban on access to archival documents from 1 January 1970 onwards complicates research into later periods. In fact, anyone researching post-1970 military-related topics has to apply for access to archival documents through the Promotion of Access to Information Act. The traditional weapon in the armoury of the historian – the systematic trawling of archives – is thereby negated, while the methodology of post-1970 historical research differs significantly from commonly accepted historical practices. Finding aids, the only access route to classified information in this analogue archive, offer only the briefest descriptions of the content of files, and researchers need almost esoteric intuition to identify documents that are even remotely relevant to their research. Additionally, a fee is payable for declassification, and the process can take several months to complete. This review article reports on the theoretical workings of the Promotion of Access to Information Act, and uses an actual research example as a case study to illustrate the practical implications of conducting research at the Department of Defence Archive in South Africa based on classified military documentation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T13:45:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b0fab229ae6947c1ba328e9109588b59 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2309-9682 2224-0020 |
| language | Afrikaans |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T13:45:57Z |
| publishDate | 2020-02-01 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientia Militaria |
| spelling | doaj.art-b0fab229ae6947c1ba328e9109588b592022-12-21T17:44:44ZafrStellenbosch UniversityScientia Militaria2309-96822224-00202020-02-014819711410.5787/48-1-1294Legislative disconnect or institutional gatekeeping? Challenges of researching South Africa's military pastKleynhans, Evert 0Gordon, Will 1Faculty of Military Science, Stellenbosch University Faculty of Military ScienceStellenbosch UniversityThe Department of Defence Archive in Pretoria is the repository of all military documents generated by the Union Defence Force, the South African Defence Force and the South African National Defence Force. This makes it the foremost source of primary information for researchers of South African military history. However, an almost total ban on access to archival documents from 1 January 1970 onwards complicates research into later periods. In fact, anyone researching post-1970 military-related topics has to apply for access to archival documents through the Promotion of Access to Information Act. The traditional weapon in the armoury of the historian – the systematic trawling of archives – is thereby negated, while the methodology of post-1970 historical research differs significantly from commonly accepted historical practices. Finding aids, the only access route to classified information in this analogue archive, offer only the briefest descriptions of the content of files, and researchers need almost esoteric intuition to identify documents that are even remotely relevant to their research. Additionally, a fee is payable for declassification, and the process can take several months to complete. This review article reports on the theoretical workings of the Promotion of Access to Information Act, and uses an actual research example as a case study to illustrate the practical implications of conducting research at the Department of Defence Archive in South Africa based on classified military documentation.https://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/1294department of defence (dod) archivemilitary archivesclassified informationpromotion of access to information act (paia)defence actgatekeeper mentality |
| spellingShingle | Kleynhans, Evert Gordon, Will Legislative disconnect or institutional gatekeeping? Challenges of researching South Africa's military past Scientia Militaria department of defence (dod) archive military archives classified information promotion of access to information act (paia) defence act gatekeeper mentality |
| title | Legislative disconnect or institutional gatekeeping? Challenges of researching South Africa's military past |
| title_full | Legislative disconnect or institutional gatekeeping? Challenges of researching South Africa's military past |
| title_fullStr | Legislative disconnect or institutional gatekeeping? Challenges of researching South Africa's military past |
| title_full_unstemmed | Legislative disconnect or institutional gatekeeping? Challenges of researching South Africa's military past |
| title_short | Legislative disconnect or institutional gatekeeping? Challenges of researching South Africa's military past |
| title_sort | legislative disconnect or institutional gatekeeping challenges of researching south africa s military past |
| topic | department of defence (dod) archive military archives classified information promotion of access to information act (paia) defence act gatekeeper mentality |
| url | https://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/1294 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kleynhansevert legislativedisconnectorinstitutionalgatekeepingchallengesofresearchingsouthafricasmilitarypast AT gordonwill legislativedisconnectorinstitutionalgatekeepingchallengesofresearchingsouthafricasmilitarypast |